Harry Reid: “Of course, I am going to object, but I want to use some of my leader time to talk about the travesty before the Senate…”

“Of course, I am going to object, but I want to use some of my leader time to talk about the travesty before the Senate at this time. The Committee on Armed Services completed their work on this bill around the 1st of May, give or take a day or two. For 5 months, we have been trying to get this bill to the floor. For Members to cry crocodile tears that this might take an extra day or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5, we need only look at the history of the Senate. I heard the remarks of the Senator from West Virginia. I agree with him. Can anyone imagine the Senate not having time to do the Defense authorization bill? We have men and women, as we speak, being shot at driving down roads and darkened streets in Iraq not knowing if they will make it home--because of a roadside bomb--home to their billet for that evening. We have almost 2,000 men and women who have been killed in Iraq. We have had 15 to 20,000 wounded. Shouldn't we take a little time to talk about the work done by the duly constituted committee of the Senate, the Committee on Armed Services, take a look at what we need to do on a policy basis? I am a proud member of the Committee on Appropriations. I have been on this committee since the day I got here. I am proud of it. It is the best committee in the Senate. But the Senate Committee on Appropriations does not run everything around here. Other committees work as hard as we do and have the right to have the matters they work on in committee heard.…”